It has been some time since we came across tales of woe and despair from the notorious Times Plaza post office in Boerum Hill on Atlantic Avenue, (about which we have written many times). Today, we have new stories to relate from emails circulating, although they are relatively mild tales of woe compared to some that have come before them:

This a.m. (Monday) at the post office. I stood in line — 11th — with 10 people ahead of me. Finally go the window with my package which was a return to one of the catalog companies. The clerk was Asian. I could not understand what she was saying – partly because she turned to her left, thus speaking into space. I kept asking what she was saying. Still couldn’t understand. She took the package, said something and then disappeared. I waited and waited. When she returned she was surprised to see me, asked why I was still there. I held up a bill and she then said – as I understood her – that I didn’t need to pay. that “IT WAS ALREADY PAID.” I could have saved nearly an hour had I realized that the company had paid the return postage.

My next stop was equally frustrating — to Midtown Greenhouse, which I had been told on the phone earlier in the morning, would open at 10 Still not open by 10:40 , at which point I went home. Bought the needed potting soil this afternoon at the Key at Clinton. Whose fault is all of this — mine I guess because I didn’t know abt. the package being paid. But also the postal clerk who should have spoken more clearly and the post office generally because it had no one checking the line. Some announcement said for those claming packages to go to a certain window. Some got packages, other were sent back to the line. Why, who knows. Thus you now know why I go the p.o. as infrequently as I can arrange.

And, there’s this little story too:

P.O. this morning….I was there around ll:15am, using the automated machine, but was amazed at the length of the line, the BSing amongst the employees, and no mgmt. on the floor. Last week there were two very important pieces of mail in my mailbox, addressed as they have been since 1982, but with yellow labels in essence stating that they werenot deliverable and should be returned to sender. There were at least a half dozen other pieces, some junk, that were also in the box. I went to the P.O. and spoke with “Edwin in the suit” who stated mail could not be delivered unless it has an apartment on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even after again telling him I’ve been at the address(own/occupy) since 1982, have my name(and tenants) on the mailbox, and showed him theother mail without aan apt., he insisted on this. Funny, though, I still get mail for people who moved out twenty plus years ago and whose names are not on the box, and…….SOS!!!!!!!